House of Milk has launched a range of ‘healing garments’ and is reviving a 2000-year-old Indian craft with a collection at Wendell Rodricks Design Space in Goa. Wellness, luxury, purposeful design and the intention to revive and sustain cottage industry drive House of Milk, a boutique lifestyle brand founded by Reshma Merchant and Priyanka Kaul Lakdawala.
The collection is influenced by ancient Indian philosophies of wellness and Ayurveda and what sets it apart are the healing qualities of herbs and roots woven into light-as-air fabrics. And so bolts of silk, linen and cotton are spun with hand-picked herbs such as neem leaves, aloe vera, nochi leaves, curry leaves, turmeric, adhatoda and jasmine amongst several others. The fabrics are treated to a distillation process and made completely toxin and chemical free. From the spinning to the dyeing of the cloth, over 50 natural ingredients derived from herbs, flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, pulp, fruits and gums are used to create fabrics that are therapeutic to the mind, body and spirit. The fabrics are then designed into beautiful garments after an elaborate process which takes 90-120 days. The fabrics are completely odour free and if the washing instructions are followed carefully then the therapeutic benefits of the fabrics can be preserved for a long time.